SRINAGAR, Aug 28: Two days after the devastating cloudburst-triggered landslide near Ardhkuwari on the Katra–Vaishno Devi track claimed 34 lives, authorities on Thursday confirmed that 16 of the victims have been identified and their bodies handed over to families.
Relatives of the deceased have started arriving in Katra from across the country to claim the remains of their loved ones.
Deputy Superintendent of GMC Jammu, Dr Bharat Bhushan, told Rising Kashmir that the hospital has so far received all 34 bodies recovered from the landslide site.
“Out of the 34, ten were identified and dispatched to their respective places on Wednesday after post-mortem verification. On Thursday, six more were identified. So far, 16 bodies have been matched and handed over. The process is ongoing as more families arrive,” he said.
Dr Bhushan stressed that the identification process is being conducted with the utmost care. “Bodies are released only after post-mortem and forensic confirmation. As soon as a match is established and the family arrives, the body is handed over immediately,” he added.
“The administration’s focus remains on dignified handover of bodies. Behind each number is a grieving family, and we are doing everything possible to support them,” he said.
A police officer at PCR Katra confirmed that the rescue operation had concluded and debris clearance is underway. “All 34 victims have been recovered and catalogued. Most of them were from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh,” he said.
Authorities said pilgrimage on the affected track will resume only after a review of the site and safety clearance, while debris removal continues.
In a gesture of solidarity, the Katra Hotel Association has extended free accommodation for stranded pilgrims and families of the deceased.
“We’ve decided to provide free stay for 2–4 days to any devotee or family member in need,” said RakeshWazir, President of the Hotel Association, Katra. “If any hotel is full, they can contact our control room and we’ll arrange accommodation elsewhere. This is the time to stand by the families in their hour of grief.”
